By John Q. Hosedrinker 
President Trump’s new tariffs have triggered a global economic crisis, marked by a significant stock market decline and the potential for a widespread trade war mirroring the severity of the Smoot-Hawley tariffs. While proponents argue for long-term benefits, the current economic damage is substantial, exceeding initial predictions and threatening a global recession. This reckless approach, fueled by conflicting justifications from administration officials, highlights a lack of coherent economic strategy. Further, Congress’s failure to check the president’s unilateral tariff authority represents a profound constitutional dereliction of duty and exacerbates the economic instability.
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A Cowardly Congress Is Letting Trump Crash the Economy
The current economic turmoil isn’t simply a result of some rogue Trump policy; it’s a direct consequence of a Republican Party actively, and deliberately, dismantling the economic safeguards of the nation. The term “cowardly” doesn’t even begin to capture the magnitude of the dereliction of duty occurring within the Republican ranks of Congress. They are not merely passive observers; they are active participants in this economic sabotage.
The claim that Congress is simply “letting” this happen is a gross understatement. Republican lawmakers, emboldened by Trump and his fervent base, have actively ceded their constitutional authority. Article I of the Constitution explicitly grants Congress the power to control the nation’s finances, yet they are abdicating this responsibility, handing the reins to a president demonstrably unfit to wield such power. This isn’t incompetence; it’s complicity.
The core issue isn’t the inherent power a president has; it’s the Republican Party’s willful surrender of their oversight role. Instead of acting as a check on executive power, they’ve become enablers, prioritizing partisan loyalty over the well-being of the nation. The responsibility for this economic freefall rests squarely on their shoulders. Their actions aren’t just politically reckless; they’re bordering on treasonous.
To say the American people bear some responsibility is true, but that responsibility lies in electing these politicians, not in the current economic crisis itself. The electorate’s choices have consequences, certainly, but the actions – or rather, the inactions – of the Republican-controlled Congress are the immediate cause of this economic downturn. The American people are victims of their choices, but the Republicans in power are the perpetrators.
Furthermore, the notion that this is somehow a “both sides” issue is patently false. One party holds the reins of power in both the House and the Senate. The blame cannot be diffused. The Democrats may have their shortcomings, but they are not the architects of this economic disaster. It is the Republicans, and their fervent dedication to Trump, that’s fueling this economic train wreck.
The economic damage isn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet; it’s about real consequences for real people. The increased prices, the job losses, and the overall uncertainty are all direct outcomes of the actions, or lack thereof, by the Republican-controlled government. This is not a game, and the consequences far outweigh any perceived political gains.
The argument that the current state is a necessary evil, a price to pay for some future reward, is disingenuous at best. The claims made by Trump and his supporters about the benefits of his policies ring hollow in the face of the undeniable economic hardship facing the nation. Any benefits promised are purely speculative, while the current losses are very real and devastating.
The silence from many Republicans is deafening. The few voices of dissent are quickly drowned out by the overwhelming tide of loyalty to Trump, even as the economy teeters on the brink of collapse. The Republican party seems more concerned with maintaining their power and protecting Trump than they are with saving the American economy. This is not a battle between two equally culpable parties, this is a one-sided assault on the economic well-being of the country, conducted with the complicity of a cowardly Congress.
There’s a palpable fear among some Republicans, a fear of Trump’s power and his ability to financially and politically damage those who oppose him. This fear has crippled any meaningful opposition within the party, leaving the economy vulnerable to the whims of a president clearly more interested in self-preservation than in the welfare of the American people.
The situation is dire, but the solution isn’t overly complex. The American people have a choice to make in the next election. It’s time to hold those responsible accountable. The cowardice of Congress cannot be tolerated, and the only way to break this cycle of self-serving political maneuvering is to elect people who prioritize the country’s best interests over party loyalty. The future of the American economy depends on it.